In the midst of sophomore Ellie Latunski’s day, hearing a song sung over and over by her little sisters makes it almost impossible to finish any school work.

“Occasionally, there is a song sung around the house when I’m in my math class,” Ellie said. “[The singing] doesn’t make it easy to concentrate.” 

She enjoys having her sisters around all the time, but when it comes to participating in school, the alternating states of calm and chaos make learning difficult.

One element of chaos that Ellie has endured throughout online school is dealing with her own classes while being bombarded by the sounds of her sister’s participation in band class.

“In the middle of my class, I would just hear my sister playing her trombone in her room,” Ellie said. “It doesn’t help when I need to concentrate.”

Despite the occasional interruptions from her sisters, Ellie has a very close bond with her family. And, like many others, she has seen her relationship with her parents and sisters grow due to the increased amount of time she spends at home.

“With COVID-19, it is interesting being around everyone so much more than usual.” Ellie said.

With all the time that they now spend together, Ellie’s family has adopted many new past times. One of these family bonding activities is hiking. 

“I really enjoy being outside,” Ellie said. “It’s so pretty, and my parents really like going outdoors and hiking. When we go on family vacations, it is like 90 percent hiking. My dad [will] basically [drag] me outside at 10 p.m. just to go hiking.”

All the time they spend together has not only allowed for them to grow close as a family, it has also caused them to develop the same sense of humor.

“Even if we’re upset with each other we’re able to turn it into a joke within days,” Ellie said.”It’s our way of making inside jokes with each other.”

One thing that makes the Latunski’s stand out from the ordinary family is the fact that they don’t hold grudges. In time, they all eventually turn into jokes, making them positive memories.

Thanks to Ellie’s parents’ influence on her, she has acquired a love for athletics and participates in many sports.

Since her parents pushed her to play sports when she was younger, she has discovered a love for multiple sports.

“I usually play basketball,” Ellie said, “[and] I was planning on joining crew and basketball this coming year. Which I can’t due to COVID-19.”

She is disappointed that she can’t play in any sports as of right now, but she is looking forward to the future. Like many athletes, Ellie plans to resume her athletic career as soon as it is safe to do so. 

Though she is not currently on the volleyball team, Ellie has still managed to retain her love for the sport. What initially made her fall in love with volleyball was the friendly environment that the team sport elicits; this sense of welcoming is something that has also inspired her to join the crew team.

“Just the welcoming environment made the crew team made it seem so interesting,” Ellie said. “I just love how much they have to work together to achieve their final goal.”

And when Ellie isn’t playing sports or spending time with her family, she almost always has her nose in a book.

“I read a lot when I was younger,” Ellie said. “[And] I haven’t gotten out of the habit.”

Ellie enjoys reading because it gives her a chance to escape her daily life and experience first-hand what her own characters are experiencing.

“I enjoy imagining while reading,” Ellie said. “I enjoy thinking about everything that is going on while having the interesting commentary along with it.”

From reading to sports to her sense of humor, Ellie owes a lot of her personality to the influence of her parents, and for that, she’s forever grateful. 

“I see family as something that will last a lifetime,” Ellie said. “We will always have each other.”